Plastic tapes for storing electronic components, such as microchips, have a series of identical pockets which hold electronic components. An example of a microchip carrier tape with a cover tape to retain microchips in the pockets in the tape is disclosed by D. B. Chenoweth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,393. The tape is an elongated strip of flexible plastic having pockets made with the use of male and female die sets. The tape has thickness of about 0.025 centimeter whereby the tape can readily be bent, twisted and crushed. The tape, having pockets, moves from the die sets in an elongated continuous ribbon toward a reel. The reel rotates to take up the tape and store the tape in superimposed wraps or spiral turns. An example of a reel assembly for accommodating microchip carrier tape is disclosed by D. B. Chenoweth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,534. The die sets are operated to deform a heated thermoplastic strip to produce generally rectangular pockets along the length of the strip. The tape has end walls, side walls, and a bottom wall defining each pocket. The end and side walls have a draft or taper to allow the dies sets to separate or release from the tape. The area of the bottom wall is smaller than the are of the top opening of the pocket. The draft in the side and end walls and size of the bottom wall of the tape allows the superimposed or adjacent sections of the tape to nest or interengage when wound on a reel. The outer surfaces of the end and side walls of the nested portions of the tape have a relatively tight fit with the inner surfaces of the end and side walls of the adjacent portions of the tape. The nested portions of the tape can be locked together. A substantial pulling force is required to separate the nested portions of the tape. This force causes uneven unwinding of the tape from the reel and can deform the tape so that it cannot be used with automatic microchip loading and unloading machines. A component carrier tape having anti-nesting shoulders on the pocket side walls of the tape is disclosed by T. Skrtic and T. J. Juntunen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,275. The recesses are located in the walls of each pocket. The transverse strength of the tape is compromised with recesses in the middle sections of the tapes'side walls. Identical sized recesses and locations of the recesses in the diagonal corners of all of the pockets of the tape does not prohibit nesting of superimposed portions of the tape. The recesses in the diagonal corner of the tape also allows diagonal flexing of the tape. The vertical wall forming the recesses open to the pockets reduces the wall thickness. There are high stress points which can result in rupture of the side walls of the tape.